Solids raised screens

Abstract

A new and unique design use of directional and re-directional raised ribs on a solids control filtering screen, such as those used in drilling wells for hydrocarbons and other substances, in conjunction with a coordinated system of hanging such screens and directing and redirecting the flow of trapped solids over the surface of such screens, is disclosed for use with a vibratory shaker. The invention counteracts the natural tendency of trapped solids to migrate to and congregate in the lowest areas of a suspended screen and facilitates a dryer fluids discharge, as well as more effectively utilizing the available screening surface area, and therefore the invention reduces the incidence of screen wear and tearing and increases the flow rate conductants and drying capabilities through the screen.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A screen assembly for solids filtering for connection to vibratory equipment, having hooks for connecting to the vibratory equipment, comprising: 
       a screen having longitudinal edges;  
       a screen layer of said screen, having a screen surface and ending at longitudinal edges and lateral edges, one of said lateral edges forming the discharge end of said screen;  
       wherein said screen layer includes a fold at said discharge end, said fold extending downward from said screen surface.  
     
     
       2. The screen assembly of  claim 1  wherein said fold is a 90-degree fold, said 90-degrees being between said fold and said screen surface. 
     
     
       3. The screen assembly of  claim 2  wherein said fold extends approximately one inch from said screen surface. 
     
     
       4. The screen assembly of  claim 1 , wherein said screen includes at least one diagonal rib having a length on said screen surface ending at said longitudinal edges. 
     
     
       5. The screen assembly of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of said diagonal ribs includes a raised director rib. 
     
     
       6. The screen assembly of  claim 5 , wherein said raised director rib runs only for a portion of the length of the at least one diagonal rib. 
     
     
       7. A screen assembly for solids filtering for connection to vibratory equipment, having hooks connected to the vibratory equipment, comprising: 
       a screen having longitudinal edges;  
       a screen layer of said screen, having a screen surface and ending at longitudinal edges and lateral edges, one of said lateral edges forming the discharge end of said screen;  
       wherein said screen layer includes a fold at said discharge end, said fold extending downward from said screen surface;  
       diagonal ribs having a length on said screen surface and at least one raised director rib, said raised director rib being mounted on a corresponding one of said diagonal ribs;  
       said at least one raised director rib runs only for a portion of the length of the corresponding one of said diagonal ribs.  
     
     
       8. The screen assembly of  claim 7 , wherein there are a plurality of said raised director ribs which are of equal length. 
     
     
       9. The screen assembly of  claim 7 , wherein there are a plurality of said raised director ribs which are not of equal length. 
     
     
       10. The screen assembly of  claim 9 , wherein said raised director ribs are of two lengths, raised director ribs of the longer length being upstream of raised director ribs of the shorter length. 
     
     
       11. The screen assembly of  claim 9 , wherein longer raised director ribs are interspersed with shorter raised director ribs. 
     
     
       12. A screen assembly for solids filtering from mud for connection to vibratory equipment, having hooks connected to the vibratory equipment, comprising: 
       a screen having longitudinal edges and a discharge end;  
       hooking clasps connected at a first end to the hooks and at a second end to one of said longitudinal edges;  
       said screen including:  
       a screen layer having said longitudinal edges;  
       a set of diagonal ribs, said ribs covering a portion of said screen layer and including two opposing sets of diagonal ribs, each set having a series of spaced ribs of said screen layer and extending diagonally on said screen layer;  
       wherein each of said sets has a first subset and a second subset of said diagonal ribs, said first subset having a first spacing between said ribs of said first subset and said second subset having a second spacing between said ribs of said second subset, said second spacing being larger than said first spacing, at least some of said second subset extending to said discharge end of said screen.  
     
     
       13. The screen assembly of  claim 12  wherein there is further included a fold, said fold extending downward from one of said lateral edges. 
     
     
       14. The screen assembly of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of said diagonal ribs includes a raised director rib. 
     
     
       15. The screen assembly of  claim 14 , wherein said diagonal ribs have a length and said raised director rib runs only for a portion of the length of one of said diagonal ribs. 
     
     
       16. A screen assembly for solids filtering for connection to vibratory equipment, having hooks connected to the vibratory equipment, comprising: 
       a screen having longitudinal edges and a discharge end;  
       hooking clasps connected at a first end to the hooks and at a second end to one of said longitudinal edges;  
       said screen including:  
       a screen layer having said longitudinal edges;  
       a set of flexible ribs, said ribs covering a portion of said screen layer and including two opposing sets of diagonal ribs, each set having a series of spaced ribs of said screen layer and extending in length diagonally on said screen layer;  
       wherein each of said sets has a first subset and a second subset of said diagonal ribs, said first subset having a first spacing between said ribs of said first subset and said second subset having a second spacing between said ribs of said second subset, said second spacing being larger than said first spacing, at least some of said second subset extending to said discharge end of said screen;  
       wherein said diagonal ribs include raised director ribs;  
       wherein said raised director ribs run only for a portion of the length of said diagonal ribs;  
       wherein each of said raised director ribs being mounted on a corresponding one of said diagonal ribs and each of said raised director ribs runs only for a portion of the length of the corresponding one of said diagonal ribs.  
     
     
       17. The screen assembly of  claim 16 , wherein said raised director ribs are of equal length. 
     
     
       18. The screen assembly of  claim 16 , wherein said raised director ribs are not of equal length. 
     
     
       19. The screen assembly of  claim 18 , wherein said raised director ribs are of two lengths, raised director ribs of the longer length being upstream of raised director ribs of the shorter length. 
     
     
       20. The screen assembly of  claim 18 , wherein longer raised director ribs are interspersed with shorter raised director ribs. 
     
     
       21. A screen assembly for solids filtering for connection to vibratory equipment, having hooks for connecting to the vibratory equipment, comprising: 
       a screen having longitudinal edges;  
       a screen layer of said screen, having a screen surface and ending at longitudinal edges and lateral edges, one of said lateral edges forming the discharge end of said screen;  
       wherein said screen includes ribs mounted on said screen surface, and a portion of at least one of said ribs including a raised director rib.  
     
     
       22. The screen assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said raised director rib is made of polypropylene. 
     
     
       23. The screen assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said raised director rib is attached to the top of said at least one rib. 
     
     
       24. The screen assembly of  claim 23 , wherein said raised director rib is connected to said at least one rib by fusion welding. 
     
     
       25. The screen assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said raised director rib has a height of {fraction (3/16)} inch to ¼ inch. 
     
     
       26. The screen assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said raised director rib is made of high temperature, oil resistant polypropylene. 
     
     
       27. A screen assembly for solids filtering for connection to vibratory equipment, having hooks connected to the vibratory equipment, comprising: 
       a screen having longitudinal edges;  
       a screen layer of said screen, having a screen surface and ending at longitudinal edges and lateral edges, one of said lateral edges forming the discharge end of said screen;  
       wherein said screen includes first ribs affixed on said screen surface, and a portion of at least one of said first ribs including a raised director rib mounted on said one of said first ribs.  
     
     
       28. The screen assembly of  claim 27 , wherein there are a plurality of raised director ribs, said raised director ribs being of equal length. 
     
     
       29. The screen assembly of  claim 27 , wherein there are a plurality of raised director ribs, said raised director ribs not being of equal length. 
     
     
       30. The screen assembly of  claim 29 , wherein said raised director ribs are of two lengths, raised director ribs of the longer length being upstream of raised director ribs of the shorter length. 
     
     
       31. The screen assembly of  claim 29 , wherein longer raised director ribs are interspersed with shorter raised director ribs. 
     
     
       32. A screen assembly for solids filtering for connection to vibratory equipment, having hooks connected to the vibratory equipment, comprising: 
       a screen having longitudinal edges;  
       a screen layer of said screen, having a screen surface and ending at longitudinal edges and lateral edges, one of said lateral edges forming the discharge end of said screen;  
       wherein said screen layer includes first ribs and a fold at said discharge end, said fold extending downward from said screen surface;  
       wherein at least one of said first ribs includes a raised director rib.  
     
     
       33. The screen assembly of  claim 32 , wherein said at least one first rib has a length and said raised director rib runs only for a portion of the length of said at least one first rib. 
     
     
       34. The screen assembly at  claim 32  wherein said first ribs are diagonal ribs. 
     
     
       35. A screen assembly for solids filtering for connection to vibratory equipment, having hooks connected to the vibratory equipment, comprising: 
       a screen having longitudinal edges;  
       a screen layer of said screen, having a screen surface and ending at longitudinal edges and lateral edges, one of said lateral edges forming the discharge end of said screen;  
       wherein said screen layer includes first ribs having a length and a fold at said discharge end, said fold extending downward from said screen surface;  
       wherein at least one of said first ribs includes a raised director rib;  
       wherein said raised director rib runs only for a portion of the length of at least one of said first ribs;  
       wherein there is more than one raised director rib, each of said raised director ribs being mounted on one of said first ribs and each of said raised director ribs runs only for a portion of the length of said corresponding first rib.  
     
     
       36. The screen assembly of  claim 35 , wherein said raised director ribs are of equal length. 
     
     
       37. The screen assembly of  claim 35 , wherein said raised director ribs are not the same length. 
     
     
       38. The screen assembly of  claim 37 , wherein said raised director ribs are of two lengths, raised director ribs of the longer length being upstream of raised director ribs of the shorter length. 
     
     
       39. The screen assembly of  claim 38 , wherein longer raised director ribs are interspersed with shorter raised director ribs. 
     
     
       40. The screen assembly of  claim 35 , wherein at least two of said raised director ribs are adjacent and there is a gate between said adjacent raised director ribs, forming a flow path. 
     
     
       41. The screen assembly of  claim 40 , wherein there is a first rib juxtaposed to said gate, said juxtaposed first rib includes a raised director rib in said flow path. 
     
     
       42. A screen assembly for solids filtering for connection to vibratory equipment, having hooks connected to the vibratory equipment, comprising: 
       a screen having longitudinal edges and a discharge end;  
       hooking clasps connected at a first end to the hooks and at a second end to one of said longitudinal edges;  
       said screen including:  
       a screen layer having said longitudinal edges;  
       a set of flexible ribs not parallel to said longitudinal edges, said flexible ribs covering a portion of said screen layer;  
       wherein at least one of said flexible ribs includes a raised director rib.  
     
     
       43. The screen assembly of  claim 42 , wherein at least one flexible rib has a length and said raised director rib runs only for a portion of the length of said at least one flexible rib. 
     
     
       44. The screen assembly of  claim 42 , wherein there is more than one raised director ribs on said at least one flexible rib, at least two of said raised director ribs being mounted such that they form an opening there between on said at least one flexible rib. 
     
     
       45. The screen assembly of  claim 44 , wherein said raised director ribs are mounted on the same flexible rib and are of equal length. 
     
     
       46. The screen assembly of  claim 44 , wherein said raised director ribs are mounted on the same flexible rib and are not of equal length. 
     
     
       47. The screen assembly of  claim 42 , wherein said flexible ribs are diagonal ribs.